


You Moved Into My Heart

by unbelviso



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Donghyuck has a big crush on Lucas, Donghyuck has never been this shy, Fluff, Fluff and Slight Angst, Height Differences, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee Are Best Friends, Lucas and Chenle are new to the neighborhood, Lucas rides a motorcycle, M/M, Minor Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Minor Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, New nieghbors, Shy Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas is Whipped, Yukhei the baddy, supposedly, wannabe angst not really though so dont worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-05-19 01:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14864330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbelviso/pseuds/unbelviso
Summary: It's rare to get new neighbors in Donghyuck's neighborhood. It's especially rare to get a very hot, motorcycle riding, crafted by God himself new neighbor. Damn this hormonal teenage phase.akaYukhei moves into Donghyuck's heart and vice versa





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> i literally found out about this ship like 2 days ago and fell in love so here we go! not sure how many chapters but i hope you enjoy and support!

" _Huh_ , won't you look at that," Donghyuck zooms the binoculars a little bit more, trying his best to stay still, "actual human beings are moving in across the street."

"Let me see." He's shoved aside by Mark's lanky body as the boy snatches the binoculars away from him, "Hey, what do you know, this neighborhood is actually capable of inhabiting humans." Donghyuck snorts loudly to Mark's commentary, snatching back the binoculars to get another peek. "I give them one week tops," Donghyuck proposes, he watches through the lens as a young boy with bleach blonde hair struggles to carry one of the boxes out of movers truck.

"We got a youngling, looks about Jisung's age-"

"Where?" The binoculars are back in Mark's hands, "I don't see- oh I see him! Yeah. He does look like Jisung's age. Looks just about as evil as him too." Donghyuck gasps, "You're right! I knew I sensed something..." Mark's evil radar is always on point, Donghyuck doesn't doubt him for a second. Donghyuck remembers the first time he met Mark's younger brother, Jisung, Mark had told Donghyuck that his "evil radar" had gone wild when Jisung was born aka be cautious around him.

They'd been sitting there, at Donghyuck's windowsill on the second floor, creepily getting an inside scope on the new neighbors across the street for about 10 minutes now. It rare to get new neighbors in Donghyuck's neighborhood, considering Mark was the last new neighbor that had moved in next door about four years ago. _Yikes_ , Donghyuck thinks as chills take over his arms, stealing back the binoculars.

A loud, quite obnoxious roar of an engine is heard coming down their street, causing Donghyuck to go into a frenzy and search for the source of noise with the large binoculars stuck to his eyes. He catches a glimpse of black, matte black and- _is that a motorcycle?_ Donghyuck zooms out a bit, much to his mistake because- It's like everything suddenly moves in slow motion as the tall slim figure comes to a halt, removing his black helmet, and revealing the most beautiful face (next to Mark's but he'll never tell him that) he's ever seen.

The motorcycle guy removes his leather gloves, long slender fingers comb through luscious honey colored hair made of silk, his wide eyes look around for nothing in particular. Donghyuck doesn't realize he's dropped the binoculars at this point. He just knows this is the longest slow motion he's ever experienced, as the guy across the street grips his helmet, looking up at Donghyuck's direction and they actually _hold_ _gazes_ for a split second and everything seems magical like in those chick flick movies he used to see with Mark all the time on the low. Donghyuck feels it, the magic. And the hot piece of man _dares_ to smirk up at him with those plump lips?

And then Donghyuck collapses onto the floor. Flat out just collapses, hitting his head on the hard wood floor.  
  
Somewhere in the back of his head he hears Mark saying  _what? what happened?_

"Holy mother of cow what the actual _fuck_ ," it's like the air has been taken out of his little lungs, his almost non-existent acne has cleared, his depression is gone, "Jesus mother of wow fuck wow help me Mark I can't _breathe_." He replays the scene in his head over and over again, hand across his chest feeling his heart, the _look_ he gave Donghyuck (the embarrassment of being caught hasn't hit him yet), the _smirk_ he had on his lips. That guy was gorgeous in all of his black leather jacket and tight black jeans glory.

"See I would, but, apart from not liking you very much, you didn't answer my question," Mark shrugs, Donghyuck glares at him. "Okay sorry I was too busy LITERALLY dying over here, no concern for your best friend wow. I see how it is." Mark grabs the nearest item, one of Donghyuck's shoes, and throws it at his stomach, causing him to flinch and whine. "I was asking if you were okay! You had some coocoo eyes going or something i don't know man it was really weird, looked like you were about to faint."

"THAT's BECAUSE I WAS WHAT THE HECK," Donghyuck's eyes move from Mark back to the ceiling of his room, "I have never experienced such moment in my life, it's like the doors of heaven opened right in front of me, it's like I found the purpose to life- _ow!_ " Donghyuck rubs his leg where yet another shoe was thrown at him. "What was that for?!"

"For still not answering my question!"

"Okay, Mark, _son_ , look here," Donghyuck sits up in a split second, grabbing Mark's arm and pulling him back towards the window ignoring his whiny  _I'm older than you_  comment. "Keep your head down idiot we'll get caught," Donghyuck shoves Mark's head down so both of their eyes are barely leveled with the edge of the windowsill. "You didn't care about that a few minutes ago," Mark grumbles, but complies anyway by keeping his head low.

"You see _that_ right there? That is what I call an angel," Donghyuck points to where the guy is now parking his motorcycle into the open garage, "or a really hot demon I have no idea yet, but I'm okay with either one, this is no time to be picky." He looks over to Mark to see his reaction, though he isn't really surprised when he sees no reaction. "Eh he's okay, looks like a walking stick on a motorcycle."

"A WALKING STICK-" Donghyuck sighs in frustration, face palming himself, "Okay whatever, I took art class and you didn't so."

"True. But you can't even see his face that well what if he's really ugly up close?" Mark questions, both of the boys still peering through the window nevertheless.

"But he's not! I seen him up close with my two eyes!"

"Four eyes."

"Four eyes! What more do I need? Those binoculars are HD as fuck bro," Donghyuck sighs again, he needs someone to share this fanboy feeling within him. He knows what he saw and he liked what he saw. I mean, Donghyuck isn't new to crushes, he gets one like every single time he sees a cute boy after finally coming to proper terms with his sexuality two years ago. But still, nobody had managed to impact him as much as this stranger (new neighbor now) has. "It's like love at first sight," Donghyuck whispers, almost inaudibly but Mark catches it.

"Let's go then." Mark pulls him up as Donghyuck begins to panic, "What, go where?"

"To welcome the new neighbors!"

"Mark Lee are you out of your mind?! I'd rather die before I let such god see me, a pathetic peasant-"

"Nope. Let's go." Mark has that triumphant smirk on his lips as he drags Donghyuck out of the room. "Mark please no, please I'll do anything!" Donghyuck screeches, grasping onto the door frame. Mark wraps his arms around his waist trying his best to peel Donghyuck away from the door. Donghyuck could literally feel his heartbeat racing at a million beats per second. He wasn't ready, not now or ever really.

"I just thought he was cute don't do this to me Mark! He SAW ME LOOKING AT HIM LIKE A CREEP," Donghyuck is fake crying now, the worst sobs he could manage, falling to the floor along with Mark as he lets go of the door frame.

"Well that's what you get for being a creeper, now let's go or else I'm telling Doyoung you were the one to tell his girlfriend that he was cheating on her!"

 

 

And that is how Donghyuck found himself walking to the house across the street with a nervous, awkward grin on his face and a pumpkin pie forced in his hands. Mark had his arm draped over his shoulder as they walked together, but it didn't help ease his nerves at all. Donghyuck hasn't peeped a word since he was threatened and dragged to the store for a pie and now to his new neighbor's house where he's guaranteed his death by embarrassment. He can feel it.

It's when Mark presses the button and the doorbell rings loudly that Donghyuck's heart begins to race much faster than it was before they even got here. His hands are getting clammy underneath the tin of the pumpkin pie and all he could whisper is, " _I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you-_ " Donghyuck inhales sharply as the door swings open and _thanks the lord_ so much that it was only the young boy with blonde hair from earlier.

"Heyo, we're your neighbors from across the street over there," Mark points his finger over his shoulder and Donghyuck is grateful that he spoke first because he doesn't trust himself at the moment. "Just thought we'd give you a peace offering or something. I'm Mark, this guy is not mute he's just freaking out at the moment because he thinks your brother is super hot-"

 _Wait_.

"Mark. Fucking. Lee. You did not just-"

"Well, nice meeting you, gotta bounce!" Mark is smiling like the little evil demon he is as he sprints to his house on the other side of the street. Donghyuck's cheeks are burning by the second because _did that really just happen?_ "I'm sorry! He's- a bit weird. Gotta go." Donghyuck's chest is contracting as he shoves the pie into the hands of a very confused boy before he's chasing after Mark.

 

"MARK COME OUT OF THERE!" Donghyuck is banging on Mark's room door with so much rage that Jisung peers out of his room from across the hall. "NEVER! I'M NOT AN IDIOT," Mark shouts back through the locked door. Donghyuck clenches his fists, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and wanting to punch Mark so hard he'll cry for a whole week straight. "Should I even ask?" Jisung pipes up in a monotone voice, Donghyuck sighs and shakes his head in response, Jisung goes back into his room.

Donghyuck takes in three deep breathes, counting to ten in between each of them. Finally, he feels a bit more relaxed to approach Mark again. "Okay, Lee number 2, if you open the door I swear we'll talk about this like reasonable upcoming men." He hears shuffling inside the room, hoping Mark will let his guard down and take his bargain. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I mean it Markiepoo you mean so much to- YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" Donghyuck charges at Mark as soon as the door is open, throwing himself onto his genuinely scared best friend. They fall onto Mark's bed, Donghyuck on top of him and placing a pillow onto Mark's face. "You embarrassed me in front of his little brother! Now he's gonna tell him! I can't show my face outside anymore because of you!" Donghyuck is holding the pillow down tighter as Mark's arms are flailing onto his body trying to shove him off.

He succeeds as they both go rolling off Mark's bed and onto the wooden floor, Mark landing on top of Donghyuck harshly, but Donghyuck can't feel pain, not with this rage inside him. "You almost killed me! I was just doing you a favor!" Mark has Donghyuck's arms pinned above his head as he tries reason with his best friend. "Well that was not a favor, I should've killed you while I could! You ruined my life! I hate you _so. Much!_ "

 

 

 

"Mark?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"You know I don't really hate you right?"

  
"Yeah."

"I'm serious, I was just being self-conscious and all," Donghyuck's voice is soft as he turns over to face Mark, propping himself up on his left arm. They had been laying there, on Mark's small bed, the past hour after their little fight (trust me, this was little compared to other fights go ask Jisung). Neither of them had said a word until now, now that they were both calm. Especially Donghyuck.

"I know."

Donghyuck sighs tiredly, letting his body fall back onto the mattress. A few minutes passed by as they stare at the ceiling when he feels Mark sitting up.

"Hyuck?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I only wanted to get you noticed by your senpai." Mark's voice is extra soft, so Donghyuck knows he really means it.

"I know."

He feels Mark plop back into his bed, releasing a sigh of his own.  
  


"Truce?" They say simultaneously, ensuing large smiles from both boys as they look at each other for the first time that evening.

"Truce," they both say together.

 

 

It barely hits Donghyuck that the hot new neighbor caught him creeping and that Mark had told the hot new neighbor's little brother that Donghyuck thinks his brother is hot, which isn't a lie, but he wasn't supposed to know that. He feels completely cheated by life, Donghyuck cringes in embarrassment, shuddering at the thought. He decides to let it go one second at a time as he takes a hot relieving shower.

He's settling back into his own bed at 1 AM after spending the rest of the evening and late night playing video games with Mark knowing both of their moms were working late shifts at the hospital this week. Donghyuck idly thinks about what they'll be up to this summer, considering Donghyuck goes back to school for one more year after vacation is over, Mark already graduated.

He thinks about the school year, as he tosses and turns in bed trying to find the right spot to rest comfortably in, and how devastated Jeno was when Jaemin announced he was moving cities just last month. Also how mostly everyone he knew in this damn boring neighborhood like Jaehyun, Sicheng, and Taeyong, even if they were Doyoung's friends, had left for different vacations to other cities or countries. Even Doyoung, his older brother who he won't admit he misses, left for a dream university across the country.

Donghyuck sighs.

Last year was so fun with the whole gang of them, now it's just Donghyuck, Mark, Jeno, and Renjun. And Jisung he guesses. He's still kinda getting used to him even after four years... Plus, Mark doesn't like having to babysit so he doesn't see him unless Mark's mom is home or something.

Donghyuck grabs his phone off the desk right next to his bed. He opens up Instagram, and quickly poses for a grainy night time selfie for his story, writing _sleepless nights_. A few seconds later he sees a reply from Mark,

 **minmark**   
_go to sleep you gorilla_

 

**hyuckhatesmarklee**   
_don't tell me what to do grandpa_

 

Donghyuck is about to send another message but stops immediately as soon as he hears a familiar engine running down the street. Without another second to spare, Donghyuck literally throws himself off the bed along with his phone, his limbs tangling in the blanket causing him to trip halfway before he reaches the window just in time.

He pulls the curtain aside just a bit, in hopes of not getting caught this time, as he watches his new neighbor pulling into the driveway. Donghyuck stares as the guy stops for a moment, pulling his phone out, staring at it for the longest before he's slamming it harshly into the concrete, the phone undoubtedly breaking into pieces. Donghyuck sits there in the darkness of his room in utter shock, his eyes wide open not caring anymore if the curtain was pushed farther back.

The night is silent again as the guy turns off the motorcycle, taking his helmet off harshly. He opens the garage with a small remote, the lights turning on as he parks his motorcycle inside. Donghyuck lets out a deep sigh, wondering what the heck that was about. Out of all the times he isn't shy why couldn't it be now? Donghyuck gets an urge in his chest to go talk to the guy who's running his hands through his hair in what seems to be frustration. But he doesn't. He doesn't because he's stupid and he's letting his nerves get to him and he wouldn't know how to approach the situation anyways and it's not like someone like  _him_ would talk to a silly teenager like Donghyuck.

And then, the guy turns around, looking up at Donghyuck, but again Donghyuck can't find himself to pull away from the window and hide under his bed forever because he is in a complete trance as his now neighbor smiles up at him somberly.

Even when he's in such state he's beautiful, Donghyuck thinks.

The guy sends a small wave in his direction, Donghyuck sending an even smaller, unsure wave back as he watches the garage close, his neighbor disappearing behind it. His heart is beating at high speed again as Donghyuck reaches to touch his face, it's extra warm and he knows he's blushing under the light of the street lamps. Could this be the start of a crush?

Donghyuck doesn't want it to be, all he could think is, _damn this hormonal teenage phase._

 


	2. two

Donghyuck literally spends the rest of the week avoiding the neighbors across the street. Not only the god, but his little brother and parents as well. Donghyuck knows it's pretty immature and pointless even, BUT, _but_ , he has a legitimate reason (excuse) that any teenager in his place would have too.

It all starts the next morning when he's taking his time getting out of bed and doing his usual normal routine (minus having to go to school thank the lord) and he takes Doyoung's video call telling him to make sure to eat breakfast since he isn't there to make it for him anymore. Needless to say that was a disaster, or maybe it wasn't that bad considering he hadn't _literally_ set the kitchen on fire this time, but he did manage to make some hella burnt pancakes that tasted way too salty (Donghyuck had a small pout on his face realizing his pancakes were in no shape to share with his best friend).

So he opted for yogurt and granola. Nice and simple. The way his life is. Or better yet, was, until the house across the street got occupied by the most beautiful man he had ever seen (he says man because how could _that_ not be a full  _man_  ). Well anyway, that takes us to the present moment as Donghyuck was already done and bored out of his life by 11 something in the morning and he's stepping out his front door greeted by the harsh sun.

He stretches his arms far and wide, feeling the slight cool breeze of the morning hit the small exposed skin of his tummy, he closes his eyes, content with the warmth of the sun at this time of the day. He lets out a long happy sigh, feeling more than happy that he didn't have school for the next 3 months. " _Ah_ , what a good time to be alive!" Donghyuck squeals, to himself really, feeling suddenly pumped and free of the restraints of school.

Donghyuck regrets opening his eyes, for they land at the house across the street where the family of four were getting ready to head out somewhere. His eyes go wide, like wide _wide_ , and he's looking around for a hide out spot (it's within his animalistic instinct of a prey to immediately want to hide) but he can't seem to find one that's not a bush of roses and he begins to panic going unnoticed by the family across the street-

well unnoticed except by one, the blonde little boy who's grinning wide (somehow that smile was devilish to Donghyuck) as heck in his direction.

"HI NEIGHBOR!" The blonde boy yells loudly, waving his arms enthusiastically, enough to catch the attention of his older brother who had been preoccupied talking to his mom but is now looking at Donghyuck with an amused smirk. Donghyuck dies a little, or a lot, inside, his cheeks burning from all the attention and it's not because of the sun he's sure of it. Apart from definitely beginning to panic, Donghyuck feels a borderline anxiety attack about to arise if he didn't leave right _now_. So Donghyuck did the only thing he could do as the boys across the street waved at him. He smiled awkwardly as awkward gets.

  
And he also booked it.

  
Donghyuck ran so fast to Mark's house, not even opening the small gate but jumping over the small brick wall. He almost tripped and fell face first into a bush but he caught himself on time as he ran to the backyard and into Mark's back door which he knew wasn't locked ( _Mark that careless teen_ , he thought, he should pull a prank on this idiot one day).

"MARK, MY LOVE WHERE ART THOU?" Donghyuck's breathing is so uneven from all the running and the panic and he just wants some water and wants to hide in Mark's jacket as soon as the boy appears.

"Gross. What's wrong with you?" Mark asks, nose scrunched up in what can only be cringe as he enters the kitchen where Donghyuck had been downing a big glass of water already. Donghyuck gulps the last of the water, slamming the glass down onto the counter, "Mark! Hide me!" Donghyuck runs to Mark who's eyes scream _don't come at me,_ but he does anyway, and Mark's not wearing a jacket today so he can't hide in there.

"Your shirt will do!" Donghyuck is even more out of breath as he lifts Mark's shirt up to hide underneath. "What are you doing you weirdo!?" Mark screeches, immediately grabbing Donghyuck's hands and pulling his shirt down along with them. Donghyuck looks up at him with glossy puppy eyes, "I can't live normally anymore my obviously new crush knows I think he's v hot and his little demon of a brother isn't going to let me live it down I just know it!"

Donghyuck fake sobs again (his specialty really, what a drama queen) into Mark's shoulder not aware that he's suffocating his best friend with the death grip he's got around Mark's waist. Mark sighs, completely done with Donghyuck's over dramatization but he guesses that's what he signed up for when agreeing to be friends with the sobbing boy. So Mark just pats Donghyuck's back awkwardly, petting his head with his other hand, "There, there. It's okay. It's not the end of the world it's just the end of a world that you had with-"

"Stop singing Drake or I will really cry and throw you into the oven." Donghyuck glares at Mark, releasing him, but Mark just laughs that funny laugh Donghyuck loves.

"Did I hear little demon of a brother?" Jisung pops into the kitchen, opening the freezer.

"What's he doing here?" Donghyuck whispers to Mark with worried eyes. "My mom said she would be back from the store by 1 so," Mark whispers back, shrugging and crossing his arms. Something about Jisung _still_ scares Donghyuck, especially with his supersonic hearing. "I also live here so," Jisung grins, suddenly next to Donghyuck, taking a bite out of his strawberry shortcake ice cream bar.

Donghyuck gasps loudly, "Oh sweet baby jesus Jisung you're gonna give me a heart attack!"

"That's the point."

"What?!"

"Nothing. Who's this little demon brother anyways? It's obviously not me..." Jisung contemplates, his eyebrows furrowed as he's genuinely trying to come up with an answer for his own question. Donghyuck and Mark stare at Jisung because he's actually trying to socialize with _them_ and not locked up inside his room for a change. Jisung's face suddenly lights up, "Or could it be... The new neighbors across the street? They have two sons right?"

Donghyuck feels a bead of sweat at his temple, this was going to be a long summer for sure.

 

  
Then it continues a few days later, after spending most of his other days indoors for obvious reasons, Mark had invited him to go swimming at the park a few minutes down their house. Just what Donghyuck needed, a little getaway even if it's 5 minutes away, to ease his nerves and to actually start to feel the relaxation of summer vacation. The temperatures were going to be super high today so he was feeling quite excited when he received a text from Mark saying ** _outside_**. Wow, his best friend was boring sometimes.

Donghyuck was in nothing but a pair of red basketball shorts definitely ready to bathe in the sun all day long and swim until his hair smelled completely of chlorine. He grabs a towel from the bathroom on his way downstairs, skipping down every other step.

"Whoa there buddy where do you think you're going?" _Crap_. Donghyuck forgot it was his mom's day off today so now he's left to beat the final boss. He takes the last step down, meeting his mom's eyes with an extra cute smile. "With Mark. To the pool. Down the street." Donghyuck announces through a tight smile trying his best to not let the fear of his mother show through. She looks at him inquisitively, her eyes squinting and evaluating Donghyuck.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

 

"Uh...your permission?" Donghyuck asks, his smile being replaced with confusion.

 

"Your sunscreen Lee Donghyuck," she folds her arms and raises her eyebrows.

 

  
"Dude what's on your face?"

"Fuck off Mark Lee," Donghyuck growls through gritted teeth, sliding on his shades and tightening his hold on the towel underneath his arm as he begins to walk down the street towards the park. He tries his best not to glance at the house across the street.

"And on your body," Mark cackles loudly, following Donghyuck with his own towel and swimming goggles. "Minhyung, if you value your life you'd have shut your mouth by now," Donghyuck feigns a kind smile but they both know it's all but that. Donghyuck wishes his mom would've worked today then maybe Mark wouldn't have even been teasing him about the sunscreen. Or better yet, his mother wouldn't have forced sunscreen on him.

"Alright, alright, I'll back off," Mark swings an arm around Donghyuck's shoulder, "For now." _Typical Mark_ , Donghyuck sighs, his eyes falling to the ground. Hey, they're wearing the same slides, Donghyuck catches. "Hey, we're wearing the same slides!" He announces out loud, pointing at their black and white Nike slides.

"Aye!" Mark grins widely at the coincidence along with Donghyuck.

  
"Aw. I'm not." They hear an all too familiar voice behind them.

  
"Jisung what the fuck! Oh my fucking fuck," Mark squeals, jumping mid air followed by Donghyuck who almost jumped on a random person's mailbox. They sigh in unison, Jisung confused, and Donghyuck still wide eyed. He feels a surge of chills run through his body at the sight of Mark's younger brother. "Why are you following us?" Mark asks the question Donghyuck was just thinking about and nods in agreement.

"Because mom's not home. And I can't be alone, unless you want me to tell mom the reason why she came home to me alone-"

"Okay yeah fine whatever," Mark interrupts, Jisung rolls his eyes, and Donghyuck stares at both of them visibly seeing the brotherly tension. "You got ready fast," Donghyuck laughs a bit nervously, glancing back at Jisung as they continue to walk. "Yeah. I over saw Mark texting you about going to the pool and thought I should join," Jisung shrugs, holding tight onto his floaties that he most definitely doesn't need. _That tall baby_.

"In other words you invited yourself." Mark scoffs, but Donghyuck knows he doesn't really mind Jisung tagging along.

"Pretty much."

 

" _Extra long w_ _ow_. It's like there's thousands of sun fairies kissing my skin all at once," Donghyuck grins excitedly, stretching his arms above his head and welcoming the sun to further tan his skin as he lays stretched out on one of the long, lounge chairs by the pool.

"Not with all that sunscreen on your body," he hears Mark say next to him and Donghyuck snaps his eyes open, sitting up to stare at Mark the most intimidating way he could. "Shut it you white chicken nugget." Mark laughs loudly, taking off his shades to properly look at Donghyuck, "Is that really the best you got?"

Donghyuck thinks about it, he wasn't really in the mood to be witty today so yeah, that's about all he's got. "Sadly," Donghyuck admits, finding himself squinting under the bright sun, they hadn't been here too long, just about 15 minutes, but already there was more and more unknown kids coming to the public pool. Donghyuck lays back into the chair, draping his arm over his forehead.

Donghyuck wonders about his other friends for a brief second, so he quickly sits up again and looks over at Mark once more, "Hey, what have you heard from Renjun and Jeno lately?" Mark follows suit, sitting up as well, "I was just talking with Jeno yesterday on the phone and him and Renjun were on their way to visit Jaemin so there's that."

"Tfti," Donghyuck pouts through squinted eyes.

"Yo is that Jisung talking to the equivalent blonde demon?"

"Where?!" Donghyuck's head snaps to where Mark is pointing, his eyes proving his statement to be true. Jisung was talking animatedly with the new neighbor boy, they were both smiling and laughing about something, simultaneously glancing to where Mark and Donghyuck were. Something's fishy, Donghyuck squints even more as he turns back to Mark.

"I don't like this one bit..." Donghyuck whispers to nobody in specific, looking off into the distance, well maybe to Mark but Mark was too busy staring somewhere over Donghyuck's shoulder eyes widening and stuff and-

"Bro. Don't turn around." Mark says, staying perfectly still, his eyes not wavering.

And Donghyuck's heart _stops_ , willing himself to slowly turn around despite Mark's words.

What he sees next can only be but one thing.

An actual _god_ walking among men. Donghyuck can only stare wide eyed, everything going into slow mo as the hot new neighbor is dripping in chlorine water as it's running down his _ABS_ (Donghyuck is feeling lightheaded) wearing similar basketball shorts to Donghyuck's but in black and his tall lean figure is walking towards them with the most confident smirk Donghyuck had ever seen-

Hold up.

Donghyuck rewinds his thoughts, mouth wide open, _he's walking towards us_.

 _Walking_.

Donghyuck snaps back into reality, the pace of life returning back to normal as he turns to face Mark, "I have to go. Now." Donghyuck quickly gathers his things, struggling to put on his damn slides as he goes into panic mode. "You can't runaway forever!" He hears Mark yell behind him as he sprints towards the nearest exit of the gated pool area. He doesn't stop running until he reaches his home, even if it feels like he's about to pass out for taking his heart beat from 0 to 100 within seconds.

Donghyuck shuts the door to his room loudly, his breathing erratic as he lets his back slide down the closed door, ignoring his mom's knocks on the door asking if he's okay.

  
"I need to get myself together." Donghyuck sighs loudly.

 

 

 

It was obviously about time that this apparent cat and mouse game had to come to an end, though Donghyuck would gladly keep playing the mouse and keep running away. But things don't work like that, Donghyuck finds that out exactly 2 days after the pool incident on a Friday night, facetiming Doyoung for the third time that week.

"And make sure you take out the trash it's Saturday tomorrow!"

"Yes _mom_ ," Donghyuck rolls his eyes, hanging upside down on the edge of his bed. He sits up, his head felling heavy and flushed with blood. "You know what I'm not even going to argue on that, call me whatever you want," Doyoung is prepping a cup of coffee on the other side of the phone screen. "Well I have to go, meeting up with some chick this evening," Doyoung finally turns to the screen, sending a peace sign to Donghyuck who sticks out his tongue, "Gross, okay talk to you some other time loser."

Donghyuck is the first to end the video chat, clicking his tongue to make some noise in his quiet bedroom as he lays on his bed. Donghyuck was yet again, bored out of his mind, not knowing how to deal with such tragedy. His mom was working a late night shift again, leaving the house completely empty. In a way Donghyuck felt extra lonely this time, so he plays video games to entertain himself since Renjun and Jeno won't answer his calls.

Donghyuck lets out a puff of air, instantly bored of the game although he had just opened the app and was waiting for it to load. After spending all day with Mark in his den doing what guys his age do (play video games, have a juice jugging contest, and play twister with a bunch of junk food and beverages) Donghyuck was left all alone at around 10 pm.

He opens up Instagram, pulling up Mark's DM's. "What are the plans for tomorrow b," Donghyuck says out loud as he types and sends Mark the message. "better not be tired of me already," he adds on with a small grin. He then gets a text message from Doyoung,

 

 **Big Bro** **10:14 pm**  
 _don't forget to take out the trash rn._

**Big Bro 10:14 pm**   
_and take yourself out while you're at it_

 

**Hyuck 10:14 pm**   
_biiiiiih_

 

  
Donghyuck groans for the longest wondering why he had to be the youngest and why he couldn't be born the eldest to be all bossy the way Doyoung was with him. "But I don't want to get up _ugh_ i hate my life", Donghyuck groans again, sitting up and putting on his slippers. He tosses his phone on the bed and makes his way out.

After the second trash can Donghyuck decides to take a break, not only was his out of shape self tired already, but the night breeze felt fresh yet warm, just the way he liked it. He inhales deeply, the scent of the night clean and soothing. Donghyuck looks up to see a bunch of stars littering the night sky beautifully.

"So pretty," Donghyuck squeals happily, / _I should tell Mark to look outside_ , he thinks contently searching for his phone in his pockets only to feel nothing. Donghyuck then remembers tossing it on the bed before coming out to take the trash. He turns to see if Mark's light is on in his room, but it's not which is pretty weird, because it's really early for Mark to be sleeping already, unless he's watching a movie without Donghyuck...Nah he wouldn't do that-

 

"Pretty cool sky huh."

 

"Oh _my_ goodness fuck!" Donghyuck jumps at the voice not only because it came out of nowhere but because it's also deeper than the core of the Earth, and he's about to scold whoever broke his trance and privacy but he doesn't because it takes him exactly 5 seconds to realize who's right in front of him.

Donghyuck's eyes trail from a view of a toned chest underneath a tight black t-shirt up to a god crafted face, meeting with a pair of naturally wide eyes. Donghyuck gulps visibly, staring up at his neighbor with shock written all over his face, the neighbor smiles, it's small, but the impact it makes on Donghyuck is serious.

"I I..have to go." Donghyuck says in an almost inaudible tone but the serenity of the night time enhances it, he looks down shyly. Donghyuck decides in that second to turn right the fuck around before he looks up and stares any longer, sticking to the routine of the week and speed walks away towards the safety of his house.

"Wait! Stop running away!" he hears his neighbor shout, and the tone in his voice makes Donghyuck slowly come to a halt, but he doesn't turn around. "Am I seriously that ugly that I cause you to run away?" he huffs, but Donghyuck could practically hear the smile and amusement in his voice. Ugly? Seriously? He is everything but that, he literally causes Donghyuck to go into panic mode even when he's 1000 feet away.

"You? Ugly?" Donghyuck scoffs, turning around and coming super close and face to face with his neighbor (well more like face to chest but Donghyuck doesn't like to think about his relatively short stature so he doesn't think about it at all). He tilts his chin up, getting a better view of the grinning giant of a neighbor. "I'm pretty sure you know you're anything but ugly and I'm also pretty sure your little evil brother told you that I think you're hot," Donghyuck clamps a hand over his mouth as soon as his word vomit spilled and realized what the heck he had just said.

(If he's honest he was just feeling threatened by his neighbor's height and looks so naturally he was going to be all defensive in the most awkward of ways ofc).

"You think I'm hot?" he smirks that damn smirk of his that does things to Donghyuck's stomach. Okay so maybe his little brother didn't tell him, and maybe he wasn't evil..But this was not time to dwell on that Donghyuck is literally about to go to his backyard, grab a shovel, dig a hole large enough, and throw himself in there and have Mark bury him alive.

Anyways, Donghyuck doesn't answer, instead he just takes a few steps back, after suddenly realizing how close they were standing to each other, and stomps away back home without a word.

 

"I'm Yukhei by the way!"

 

Donghyuck turns around to see his neighbor, _Yukhei_ , grinning confidently like he'd just won Mr. Universe, if that was even a thing. Donghyuck does what Donghyuck also does best and plays it cool, "Okay and I kinda don't care." But he does care, and a lot, though he still "fakes" a smile before turning around and heading towards the entrance of his house.

In fact, he cares so much that as soon as he's in his room, he pulls out his secret diary from the very top of his closet that not even Mark knows about and writes  ** _Yukhei 10:29 pm_**   on his daily entry. Donghyuck giggles much like a little school girl with her first crush as he flops onto his bed, hugging his diary close.

 

  
" _Yukhei_." He says out loud.

 

  
He could get used to that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> run on sentences are my specialty can't you tell lmaO  
> anyways  
> thank you for all the supportive comments and kudos so far!!! Ya'll don't know how happy that made me and how excited I am to be writing this fic for all of you!   
> also, my updating will be all over the place js


	3. three

  
  
"And then he was all like _"I'm Yukhei by the way-"_   Donghyuck was in the middle of explaining to Mark what exactly had happened last night while trying to replicate Yukhei's deep abyss voice, "-And then _I_   was like "Okay and I don't care-"

"You told him you DON'T _CARE_?" Mark stares at Donghyuck in utter disbelief, "Why the heck would you even-"

"That's besides the point Mark! His voice was _literally_ that deep!" Donghyuck says in exasperation, reliving the night again and again in his head. He might have came off a _bit_ rude but Donghyuck believes Yukhei probably has self confidence of steel and wouldn't really be affected by it. Because when you look like _that_ , a measly teenage boy and his attitude shouldn't matter. That kind of upsets Donghyuck, causing him to pout as he reaches for two bags of chips instead of one and tossing them into the cart as they moved down the aisle.

Mark shrugs after a while, putting three bags of gummy worms and bears into the cart, "Either way, he's going to think you're a rude little boy. Which by the way, is totally accurate." Donghyuck's head snaps in Mark's direction forgetting all about the chocolate section he was looking at. "I am not! I was just intimidated!"

"Okay but he doesn't know that does he?

Donghyuck stays quiet, Mark knows he's won the argument and adds on, "Next time just play it cool. Think as if you're talking to me or something." Donghyuck sighs heavily as he lazily pushes the cart into another aisle with Mark right behind him. "Then I'm really going to offend him if I pretend he's you Markiepoo."

Donghyuck flinches when Mark flicks the back of his head, " _Ouch_. You didn't have to do that." Mark ignores him as they stop in front of the beverages and both gaze at the bottom shelf of boxed juices.

  
"Fruit punch?"

  
"Fruit punch." Donghyuck agrees, pulling out two small boxes and dropping them inside the cart.

  
"Anyways, back to what we were saying-" Donghyuck doesn't finish his sentence, bumping into someone as he was backing away from the shelf, "Oh I'm sorry!" Donghyuck turns around quickly apologize to the person, who's actually really cute (a word he uses only rarely). The other person, a young looking guy with a kind face shakes his head. "I should be the one apologizing really!"

"No I shouldn't have backed up like that," Donghyuck admits, looking up bashfully at the stranger while Mark is in the background rolling his eyes.

  
"Hey Kun I finally found the band-aids! They were in the other-" The stranger, _Kun_ , turns around to face the person Donghyuck had become so familiar with that he now thinks fate is doing this on purpose to mess with his feels (which by the way is working miraculously).

Yukhei is staring at Donghyuck with wide eyes of surprise before he's smiling and all Donghyuck could do is glare even though what he really wants to do is smile back and jump in Yukhei's arms. _Or something like that._ "This town is really small isn't it?" Yukhei laughs and is now standing next to Kun who's looking between them with confusion.

"You guys...know each other?" Kun asks, his brows still knitted in confusion and he looks absolutely adorable Donghyuck just wants to pinch his cheeks and cuddle him to death. Mark shows up next to Donghyuck, looking at him as if he's surprised Donghyuck hasn't attempted to run away yet.

"Yeah, this is my neighbor I've been telling you about." Donghyuck's eyes widen as Yukhei nonchalantly tells Kun that _he_ _talks about Donghyuck_ as if it's so casual. And maybe it is but Donghyuck is too infatuated to determine the difference of speaking about your neighbor casually or not.

"Oh the one that always runs away? Wow, never thought I'd meet you, I'm Kun!" Kun is now looking at Donghyuck with expectancy and this is about the time he realizes his mouth had been open so he closes is it rapidly, somehow ignoring the fact that Kun had referred to him as the one who always runs away. "Um, yeah you too? I'm...Donghyuck. And my best friend Mark." Donghyuck points to Mark beside him who was on his phone until he realizes everyone is looking at him so he shoves it in his pocket.

"Yeah, yep that's me. Sadly." Mark braces himself for the punch from Donghyuck but it never comes. Donghyuck is too busy trying to stay cool as Mark had told him to earlier but it was kind of hard when these two good looking guys in black riding suits are placed right in front of him. How did he not notice the motorcycle helmet in Kun's hand a little sooner?

Donghyuck was also too busy analyzing what he hadn't before to even notice the three males were laughing at mark's comment until Yukhei speaks up. "So you're willing to tell a stranger you just met your name but you couldn't even tell your own neighbor? I'm offended." Yukhei exasperates as if he's truly offended, but if Kun's smile tells him anything, it's that Yukhei is just being playful.

It doesn't really help Donghyuck in calming his nerves, and heart, when Yukhei is smiling at him like that and acting as if he really cared about knowing Donghyuck's name or not. It plays with his teenage, sensitive heart and he doesn't think he can take it and his only defense is to be rude but Mark says not to be and he's just wants to run away because that's much easier than facing your crush.

Mark nudges Donghyuck's rib with his elbow after Donghyuck had literally just stared with his scared puppy eyes rather than answering like a normal human being. "Well- Well you know it now so...does it really matter?" Donghyuck reluctantly answers. Yukhei huffs, switching his helmet and the band-aids to his left hand, "Kinda hurt my ego so yeah."

Kun and Mark look at each other, seeing the obvious tension building up and decide to slowly back away and leave. Not that Yukhei or Donghyuck noticed.

"Aww didn't want to hurt your poor little ego, now I feel bad." Donghyuck fakes a pout, Yukhei scoffing in response but he's still grinning and Donghyuck is all for it. 

"You really don't like me do you?" Yukhei asks, but it sounds more like a statement and Donghyuck tries not to smile. But Donghyuck does and he plays it off as a pretentious smile, "No not at all."

"Well that's too bad. I was going to ask if you wanted to go out somewhere, sometime." Yukhei is smirking and it's sending red flags in Donghyuck's mind and heart and every inch of his being. Donghyuck is also summoning his inner cool down system before he desperately gives in to this egotistical hot piece of man. He can't be weak.

"You were not." Donghyuck states solidly knowing Mark would applaud his state of apparent casualness.

  
"Yes I was." Yukhei doesn't miss a beat when answering, keeping a determined expression in his light smirk and Donghyuck does his best to ignore it.

  
"You didn't even know my name until two seconds ago _so_..." Donghyuck folds his arms looking around as if he wanted to be anywhere but here. But this is exactly where he wanted to be. "Plus, why would I even go on a date with _you? "_   _Because he's everything you've dreamed of_ , Donghyuck's mind taunts him but he quickly shuts it out.

"Who said it was a date? I just said if you wanted to go out somewhere. _Plus_ , even if I did mean it as a date, you think I'm hot so that pretty much answers everything." Yukhei exceeds confidence with his statement, making Donghyuck blush at the bluntness of the truth. _Damn,_ he got him there and now Donghyuck's face feels like it's come in direct contact with a wild fire. "And _this_ is why I didn't like you since day one," Donghyuck huffs, glaring at Yukhei despite his red cheeks.

Yukhei doesn't know that's a total, complete lie coming from Donghyuck's mouth, but he's still smiling for whatever reason.

Yukhei opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a hand grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the registers. "Alright, let's go, play time is over." Kun announces, clearly struggling in pulling the giant away. "It was nice meeting you Donghyuck, I'll see you around, hopefully!"

"You too," Donghyuck replies, albeit softly with a small wave. He turns around quickly grabbing the cart and coming face to face with Mark who's giving him _that_ look. "So..." Mark says, clicking his tongue, "that was something."

  
"I don't wanna talk about it." Donghyuck groans. Maybe Yukhei isn't all that great. _He's so full of himself_ , Donghyuck thinks, visible frustration pulling through his features and maybe Mark notices.

  
But who is he kidding, Yukhei looked like a full course meal in his riding suit, looking long and slim and just Donghyuck's type. He was so whipped but he wasn't going to let Yukhei know that.

  
Yukhei is the last person who needs to know.

 

-

 

As the days go by for the rest of the week all Donghyuck could think about was Yukhei. Yes Yukhei, the cocky neighbor with a motorcycle and luscious hair and beautiful face and all that. Donghyuck couldn't help it. This was his prime crush, so he concluded a few days after the supermarket encounter.

All he does is stay in his house or go with Mark but every time he hears a motorcycle approaching his street, his heart races and he feels _something_ in his stomach but he doesn't know what it is and the only applicable answer seems to be _he has a crush_. A hard crush. Donghyuck's had crushes before of course, but not like _this_.

Not like this where when he sees Yukhei in the mornings sometimes his heart stops, his world stops and he takes it in, his beauty, before Yukhei even notices Donghyuck going to Mark's house. Though sometimes he does notice, and he waves at Donghyuck but Donghyuck just crosses his arms and stomps away because he doesn't need to be feeding Yukhei's ego.

Donghyuck always finds himself on a seesaw, either feeling this way or that way.

Feeling like he should just be more approachable or feeling like Yukhei needs to know Donghyuck isn't going to fall for his apparent charms (which he already has).

By the next week after _that_ , Yukhei takes another step forward and Donghyuck assumes he got the message of _not everyone is going to come after you like a dog with a treat_. Because Yukhei stops waving and starts saying _hello_ or _good morning_ , even sometimes _good night_. No, Donghyuck _does not_ write about this in his diary, instead he focuses on other things like...music or covering new songs when he's not with Mark.  
  


One night when Donghyuck was returning from Mark's house around 1 in the morning and Yukhei was just arriving on his motorcycle from who knows where and turning off the bike he yells, "Good night!"

Donghyuck had turned around and a small, tiny smile appeared but he was convinced Yukhei couldn't see it from across the street so he allowed himself the pleasure. "Good night," Donghyuck yelled back a bit weakly as if saying good night back took so much energy.

"Do you like me yet?" Yukhei yells again and Donghyuck scoffs a laugh shaking his head and yelling back once more, "Nope!"

With that, he went into his house where he knew his mother was working yet again and smiled like an idiot all to himself.

 

So then hello's and good morning's and good night's are accompanied by _how's your day going_ or _how's your day been_ and Donghyuck turns to mush because it's starting to feel domestic. Although Donghyuck usually responds with something bland as if he's uninterested and would rather be anywhere but having a conversation with Yukhei a street apart to keep the facade going, it warms his soft heart and makes him squeal and jump on his bed when he goes into his bedroom. He still seeks advice from Doyoung when doing their weekend video chat, but it could only go so far.

One day Yukhei showed up at Donghyuck's doorstep with a pumpkin pie in hand saying something about returning the gesture a little to late but better than never. Donghyuck surprisingly didn't close the door in his face. Instead, he took the pie with a genuine smile and said _thank you._

Because Yukhei might have a big fat ego and he might have the highest level of confidence, and every right to be that way, but Donghyuck finally _FINALLY_ finds out he wouldn't want Yukhei any other way. Because his crush is only getting bigger and bigger and he can't take it and he wants to confess to Yukhei but he's afraid of rejection despite Yukhei showing a bit slight of interest.

  
He's so lost in dealing with something that's more than a crush. He's never been past that level until now. Donghyuck's never dealt with the _liking_ stage.

And that's what it was.  
  


The stage where Donghyuck _likes_ Yukhei.

  
He really likes him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay but imagine a 'black on black' Kun with motorcycle riding gear??? A LOOK. I almost cried imagining it.
> 
> a smol chapter to fill your tummy! I've been gone for so long forgive me )-:  
> hopefully this is adequate as I am still excited for this fic and this will probably be my first completed one! 
> 
> Also forgot to mention, I will be on vaca so it'll take me a while (a month) to update bc I will have no Wi-Fi ):  
>  
> 
> So thank you to all the comments and kudos it fuels me to see many of you enjoying this decent fic!!


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had been out of the country my apologies!! And apart from that...massive writer's block so please also forgive this crappy as heck chapter! I'll try to come out with better content after this~ But thank you for those who always show support and encouragement and interest it means a lot!!

 

Donghyuck may really like Yukhei, but he _still_ will never let Yukhei know (even though he told himself he would).

 

Mainly because Donghyuck's self esteem and confidence doesn't exist so he'd rather not face rejection. There is nothing more to fear than rejection itself. It'll be like grade school all over again when Donghyuck had confessed to his partner that he had a huge crush on her only to be told _gross_ , and having the whole class laugh at him.

Donghyuck shudders at the memory. It was so cringe worthy and embarrassing he doesn't know why he brings it onto himself to recall that day.

So in other words, Donghyuck doesn't want to be told _gross_ when Yukhei finds out Donghyuck has more than a silly crush on him (which, again, he'll never find out by the way).

He even convinces himself that he might as well forget about liking Yukhei, as he's laying in bed on his phone, and his silky honey colored hair and his leather jackets and black ripped jeans and his _smile_ and the way he greets Donghyuck everyday _and_ -

Donghyuck smacks his own arm, " _Bad_ Donghyuck. Don't be thinking about him." Sigh with this constant battle between himself and himself. It's not so easy to get over crushes, I mean, wiki-how made it seem simple as heck but Donghyuck guesses there's more to it.

He locks his phone, deciding that wiki-how isn't going to do all the work, and gets up to go cook some ramen or something instead. It was barely 9 PM, but with his mom who had just left to work for yet another graveyard shift and with Mark babysitting Jisung and Chenle for their sleep over, Donghyuck was left on his own.

The silence of his house always irked him.

Donghyuck pops in an instant bowl of ramen into the microwave, _extra_ spicy supposedly, and settles for the noise of the microwave. He takes out his chopsticks and is about to take out the gallon of orange juice when he hears the doorbell ring. Donghyuck stops what he's doing, hand midway in the fridge reaching for the orange juice.

At first he thinks it might just have been his imagination hoping for Mark to come save him but when he hears the doorbell ring yet again Donghyuck shuts the fridge and heads to the door. And this might sound bad but Donghyuck just _a_ _ssumed_ it was Mark and so he swung the door wide open without even peeping through the hole to take a look.

But it wasn't Mark and Donghyuck's eyes widened as he peered up.

"Uh hey," Yukhei says with a sheepish grin as if it's casual to come ringing Donghyuck's door at 9 PM for what he assumes is absolutely no reason. At least it wasn't a complete stranger who had come to kidnap Donghyuck or something. Donghyuck's mouth just hangs open for a few seconds before he remembers he can actually _talk_.

"Oh uh, _hey?_ " Donghyuck replies not even trying to conceal the confusion etched in his features and voice. Donghyuck isn't sure if he's the one that is supposed to continue the conversation. So he folds his arms over his chest upon feeling the cool breeze of the night and waits for Yukhei to explain his sudden appearance.

" _So_...this might sound a bit weird but I'm kind of locked out of my house and don't know what to do." Yukhei bites his bottom lip but he's radiating embarrassment for he won't quite reach Donghyuck's eyes. Locked out? Donghyuck processes the words for a few seconds before his mouth is forming an o shape and he snaps his fingers, that's why Yukhei came..

"Wait, locked out how?" Donghyuck questions. He wants to ask why Yukhei had come to him with this dilemma but then when Donghyuck really thinks about it, he's kinda Yukhei's only option. Being the only neighbor apart from Mark who he's most familiarized with and all.

"Well you see...I kinda left out riding like an hour ago and locked up everything only to realize, just now, that I left my set of the keys inside my room." Yukhei finally looks at Donghyuck but with a worried expression. He was still gnawing at his bottom lip and Donghyuck tried his best not to stare at Yukhei's cute, _kissable_ lips-

" _Okay_... Don't you have like, a key hidden somewhere?" Donghyuck inquires, seeking out the most reasonable solution before thinking the unthinkable.

Yukhei shakes his head.

"Can't you tell your parents?"

"They're out of town for the weekend," Yukhei sighs.

"Doesn't Chenle have a spare?"

"Yeah but he normally leaves it in his room."

"Can't you go in through a window?"

"I locked up everything. Literally _everything_." Yukhei is staring at him hopelessly.

  
Donghyuck can't believe this. His _luck_ , seriously. How are the odds always against him? How is it that fate is just going to wash Yukhei up on his doorstep and have Donghyuck be the kind neighbor and say something like _Oh, if you want you can spend the night here._ He was not, and he means he is definitely _not_ going to let his _crush_ crush, stay in the same house as him for the night. No. Way.

 

  
Donghyuck blames Yukhei's puppy eyes he really does. They're the only reason why Yukhei is sharing the couch with Donghyuck and eating ramen while Donghyuck looks for a movie on Netflix in the upstairs living room.

He swears the nervous butterflies in his stomach days were over as of a week ago. But how could they when Yukhei, _Yukhei_ , is a ruler apart from him eating ramen like he hadn't eaten for days and _smiles_ at Donghyuck every single second? How? So the butterflies make their grand entrance again, tangling up in Donghyuck's stomach as he over thinks which movie to pick.

He didn't want to put a horror movie he wasn't really good with those (thanks to Mark). But he also didn't want to put a romance movie either because we all know how _that_ ends. So as Donghyuck keeps stealing side glances at Yukhei slurping his ramen away, he decides he might as well end the awkward silence and give Yukhei the remote.

"Here. You pick."

"Oh. Sure." Yukhei smiles again, taking the remote from Donghyuck's hand and their fingers brush ever so slightly and Donghyuck thanks the darkness or his blush would've been visible from the other side of the world. He looks away immediately, only seeing Yukhei's large hands place the half empty bowl of ramen on the coffee table as his cheeks burn with heat.

Every second seems infinite to Donghyuck, even as Yukhei barely begins to search between the many titles provided on Netflix. He just feels the need to say something, to initiate some sort of conversation to make it less awkward. But awkward likes to stick around Donghyuck all the time so it's nearly impossible for him _not_ to make it any more awkward than what it already is.

"I'm going to get a blanket!" Donghyuck announces a bit loudly because Yukhei's head snaps up at Donghyuck who is now standing up. "Do you want one?"

Yukhei shakes his head, "I'm fine, thanks."

"Okay. I'm going to go get one, then."

  
"Ugh why do you have to be so awkward? _Not cool,_ " Donghyuck groans to himself when he's in his bedroom grabbing his own thin blanket used for chilly summer nights like these. He grabs his phone, sending a quick text to Mark,

to **markiepoo**  
I think I'm going to DIE

Donghyuck shoves his phone into the pocket of his sweats, making his way back. Yukhei, thankfully, plays a movie but Donghyuck doesn't catch the title as he settles back into his spot on the couch. He drapes the blanket over himself, bringing it up to his nose. He watches as the credits in the beginning appear and the film itself starts to play. It's a bit too loud but he'll use that as his own excuse not to speak to Yukhei.

However, that didn't seem like an excuse to Yukhei to ignite somewhat of a conversation with Donghyuck.

"Hey so like, is this the type of date you had in mind?"

Donghyuck looks over at Yukhei, giving him what he feels comes off as a deathly glare of disbelief. Yukhei snorts, not taking himself seriously after a few seconds of a straight face. Donghyuck never, ever thought his crush would want to make him commit first degree murder.

"I'll have you know, this wouldn't even qualify as a date considering you're enough of an _idiot_ to leave your keys in your locked up house and come running to _me_ because you have no where else to go," Donghyuck fires in a single breath and Yukhei stares at him with wide eyes before he's cackling loudly in reaction to Donghyuck's clear flustered state.

Donghyuck keeps his glare on even as Yukhei is almost falling over from laughter. Donghyuck doesn't think he's said anything funny but Yukhei won't stop laughing and it's Donghyuck's first time hearing him laugh that hard. He finds Yukhei's laugh to be quite obnoxious actually, but he figures there always has to be a flaw in a person that perfect.

A tiny smile cracks onto Donghyuck's lips as Yukhei's laughter begins to die down. This boy is legitimately ridiculous, Donghyuck comes to realize. Why he has a crush on this boy is still unknown to even Donghyuck himself (actually it's not).

"Okay I was just teasing you I'm sorry," Yukhei looks like he wants to laugh again, "But does it count as Netflix and chill at least?"

Donghyuck rolls his eyes so hard he thinks they might just get stuck up there as Yukhei begins laughing again.

"I really don't like you. At all," Donghyuck huffs but it's with a smile as he throws a small pillow at Yukhei's face who skillfully dodges it.

"As long as you think I'm hot I think we're okay."

"I'm going to kick you out!" Donghyuck shouts, sitting up in frustration but he can't fight the smile on his face as he watches Yukhei go breathless from all the laughter. It's at times like these when Donghyuck questions himself if he really likes Yukhei or not because he seems to often forget how much on his nerves Yukhei gets. Him and his confidence and way of being, so loud and unafraid, everything Donghyuck wishes he was.

"Okay I'll stop. I promise," Yukhei finalizes, letting out a few short giggles before his face turns serious. Donghyuck counts to 3 before Yukhei is smiling again. Donghyuck gives up, sighing loudly though there's a grin on his face too as he sits back down gathering his blanket again.

There's a vibration in the pocket of his sweats and he pulls out his phone, it's a text from Mark two hundred hours later,

from **markiepoo**  
Y?

On god his best friend is going to get choked to death too. Donghyuck takes a deep breath in deciding not to text back. He tosses his phone onto the coffee table next to Yukhei's empty bowl of ramen.

"Not gonna reply?" Yukhei asks, looking intently at Donghyuck who just shakes his head. "He's being dry."

After settling down and actually beginning to pay attention to the movie from both boys, Donghyuck begins to feel drowsy even though the clock says 9:59 PM. Either the movie was too boring and Yukhei has horrible taste, or Donghyuck is just that exhausted from the entire day of doing absolutely nothing. Needless to say, Donghyuck does not feel when his eyes and body give up on him, as he falls into deep slumber, dreaming about a certain boy's laugh and smile.

 

 

Donghyuck feels something in his hair when he begins to resurface consciousness. It's something he's felt before but he's too busy trying to fall back to sleep to even come to proper terms to what he's feeling. But it's so soothing and relaxing, the way his hair is being brushed gently, his head resting on a cozy lap but he can't remember someone being in his house.

Was it Mark? No it couldn't be..

Donghyuck stirs, feelings his limbs sore from being in what seems to be an uncomfortable position as his eyes slightly pry open, it's dark but the tv is still on, playing something he can't remember ever putting on. He turns to his other side and to his horror his eyesight is filled by somebody's black t-shirt and muscular arms.

"Oh my god!" Donghyuck jolts up, his eyes widening as the memories of Yukhei having been locked out and staying at Donghyuck's place floods his mind. Yukhei seems just as shocked as Donghyuck but that might have been because Donghyuck literally yelled as if he's just seen a monster or something equivalent.

"I'm sorry," Yukhei apologizes, visibly gulping as he stretches out his ever so long legs. But Donghyuck, who's still groggy with sleep, doesn't know what he's apologizing for. Donghyuck was the one, after all, that had fallen asleep on Yukhei so he furrows his eyebrows, giving him a confused stare with a tilted head. "For?"

"Touching...touching your hair. I just- you looked comfortable after you fell on my lap and I just- I- _yeah_..."

Donghyuck feels a smirk forming on his lips not believing he's actually witnessing a _flustered_ _Yukhei_ for the first time ever. _Doesn't feel so nice does it?_ Donghyuck snickers to himself watching as Yukhei still won't meet his eyes.

"It's okay. I think you were putting me more to sleep which is always a plus," Donghyuck shrugs. He was in the state of being awake and not being awake, in other words Donghyuck couldn't process much and switched to using autopilot instead. Yukhei still looked flustered beyond repair so Donghyuck spared his life for once, which he's sure he's going to be mad at himself for not taking advantage and teasing him endlessly later.

A yawn erupts from Donghyuck's mouth as he stretches out his sleep weakened limbs. "What time is it?" Donghyuck asks as he reaches for his phone to check himself, "Oh crap, it's about to be 1 in the morning. I slept for that long?"

Yukhei nods, clearing his throat, "Um yeah my legs fell asleep but I wasn't going to just throw you off." He laughs a bit nervously, watching as Donghyuck sleepily fell back on to his lap, staring back up at him with droopy eyes.

"Huh, you actually have manners and chivalry who knew," Donghyuck huffs and Yukhei does that nervous laughter again and he isn't sure why. Donghyuck yawns again.

"Uh Donghyuck...do you really not like me that much?" Yukhei says. And for another first time, Yukhei's voice is soft, blending in with the almost inaudible noise coming from the tv. It's so unlike the loud, confident Yukhei Donghyuck is used to seeing, but Donghyuck isn't awake enough to think anything of it.

Donghyuck looks up at him, analyzing the features he found so endearing, wondering if this really wasn't just one of his silly dreams. "I really don't." He says monotonously.

"Then why are you resting your head on my lap again?" Yukhei snorts, breaking into a teasing grin and Donghyuck is so close to throwing a punch. Of course he doesn't, but he does glare up at Yukhei with zero effect, showing no signs of moving any time soon.

"Because I'm comfortable," Donghyuck grumbles, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He's looking away to a spot where his feet are dangling over the couch but he could feel Yukhei's gaze burning down on him. He tries his best not to flush under the stare he supposedly doesn't notice. He blankly wonders why Yukhei is still wide awake.

"Aren't you...sleepy?" Donghyuck asks in between yet another yawn after a while.

"Not really, I'm usually out with Kun and some friends around this time." When Donghyuck finds the courage to look up, he catches Yukhei's gaze before the male is immediately looking away. Donghyuck could only smile, but he's quick to cover it with his blanket.

"I'm still sleepy," Donghyuck muffles through the blanket. He looks away, kicking off his shoes as he hears Yukhei sigh loudly.

"I'm surprised you haven't like, panicked or something," Yukhei says and Donghyuck could practically hear his grin even as he's feeling heavily drowsy.

To be sincere, Donghyuck was quite a bit surprised too but when it came to sleep, nothing really mattered.

Like right now.

"It's because...sleepy," Donghyuck said drowsily, feeling his eyelids closing in on him. And next thing he knows, he's in dream wonderland again.

 

The second time Donghyuck wakes up, his arms are wrapped around these muscular, long feeling legs, his cheek pressed against them. He's feeling a bit confused, wondering if he's still dreaming or not but thinks otherwise when he's suddenly feeling the early morning sunshine beating down on his back. The blanket is no longer on him so he assumes it's somewhere on the floor.

And his _back_ , it _aches_. All his body does actually, and he begins to stir, forcing his eyes to open. He ends up falling on the floor with a loud _thud_ , groaning a few seconds after realizing he'd fallen off. He also assumes he wasn't on his bed but rather on the couch for whatever reason.

The moment his squinted eyes land on the long sleeping figure on the couch he was just on, Donghyuck's eyes grow wide. Like super wide. Wider than wide.

 _What's Yukhei doing here?_ Donghyuck basically screeches in his mind but he must've said it out loud because Yukhei inhales sharply, rubbing his eyes as he sits up. "What time is it?" Yukhei asks in a deep, husky sleep filled voice.

Donghyuck could only stare from his place on the ground in horror, recalling exactly how he ended up to this precise moment.

"Oh god."

 

"You need to get out! My mom is going to come any second now and she's going to get the wrong impression!" Donghyuck exclaims, pushing a very drowsy, and very heavy Yukhei through the door.

"No she...won't," Yukhei says between a long yawn. The poor boy was still groggy, but Donghyuck couldn't last another second with the blunt reality of having slept on, no, _cuddled_ Yukhei's legs to sleep. And his mom would really be coming any second so he kept pushing Yukhei, reaching the end of his front lawn before he hears a loud honk and watches in horror as his mom pulls through the driveway.

Donghyuck's blood drains out of his face as his mom gets out of the car, taking long strides towards the two.

" _Hi mom_ ," Donghyuck says sweetly trying to conceal his panic. Yukhei just waves, still rubbing at his eyes trying to wake himself up and figure out what was going on.

"Hi, Donghyuck. Who's your new friend?" She inquires, glancing at Yukhei and returning the questioning look to Donghyuck.

"I'm Yukhei." "He's Yukhei." They say simultaneously.

"I'm the new neighbor." "He's the new neighbor." _Again_ , they say simultaneously and they look at each other for a split second, laughing nervously in unison afterwards. Donghyuck doesn't miss the quick shot glare of his mom but he decides to ignore it.

"He's not that recent. He moved in like a month ago," Donghyuck gulps, his smile remaining though it's filled with borderline anxiety. It's not everyday Donghyuck befriends someone in his mother's eyes.

"Like a month ago yeah," Yukhei agrees, nodding his head and Donghyuck has to suppress his laughter at seeing Yukhei in a state like this where he looks like he's going to pee his pants. Or maybe that's what he looks like when he's just waking up Donghyuck doesn't know.

" _Oh_ , yeah I remember now! Here I thought you were his boyfriend he never told me about," His mom says giddily. Donghyuck thinks she might be super sleep deprived to be exceeding that vibe so early in the morning and to be coming up with absurd conclusions.

  
Donghyuck flushes and he's quick to change the subject.

"Uh no, just the neighbor. Anyway, Yukhei got locked out of his house just now and I was helping him um- solve his problem or whatever," Donghyuck explains, not feeling very confident but he hopes his determined gaze doesn't give him away. He sees Yukhei nodding eagerly through the corner of his eye.

"It looked like you were pushing him out though?" His mom questions. Donghyuck isn't very good at lying on the spot when it comes to his mom, so he stands there mouth agape trying to figure out how the heck to explain himself before a fly goes into his mouth.

"I- I insisted on him letting me hang out until my parents come home but your son here _dislikes_ me so he was trying to uh, to push me out," Yukhei states with a shrug. Donghyuck glares up at him, crossing his arms and scoffing, "That's like half the truth."

Donghyuck's mom stares at them with complete seriousness to what feels like forever to Donghyuck before she's laughing loudly, startling the two boys.

 _"I see then._ Well, I'm going to sleep because I'm about to collapse so Donghyuck stop being rude and acting like you don't like him and make him something to eat until he gets himself situated," Donghyuck's mom smiles at both of them with sleepy eyes, "Come on let's go inside," she says to the frozen boys.

Both Yukhei and Donghyuck follow, dumbfounded and confused.

 

  
"Umm...so... is this part of your daily routine?" Donghyuck hears Yukhei ask somewhere behind him as he flips over the sweet pancake. He didn't want to admit that yes, this was part of his daily routine because to Donghyuck that seems totally lame and mundane and he isn't sure why he doesn't want Yukhei to think the same.

So he scoffs, turning around with a hand on his hip and a spatula in his right hand. "No, I do far more productive things but my mom thought it was a good idea to feed a temporary orphan!"

"Not my fault," Yukhei shrugs.

Donghyuck glares, "Uh yes it is."

Yukhei pops a strawberry into his mouth, "Nope."

"Whatever." Donghyuck had better things to do other than argue with a tall, egotistical guy. Like flip his pancake one more time so it doesn't burn.

Donghyuck turns off the stove after a few seconds, setting the last of eight pancakes on the stacked high plate.

"Enjoy," Donghyuck says bitterly but more so tired as he sets down the pancakes. Yukhei who's sitting on the proper side of the aisle, serves himself four and Donghyuck gapes.

"What?" Yukhei grins like a happy puppy as he pours a crap load of syrup all over his pancakes.

"How do you eat that many pancakes and stay all...lanky and skinny?" What Donghyuck really meant was _how do you stay that hot and fit_ , but he wasn't going to add more confidence into this boy.

Yukhei seems to catch on though as a loud laugh erupts from his mouth. "It's called working out," Yukhei smirks, shrugging and Donghyuck watches as he cuts through the four layers with the butter knife.

Okay Donghyuck should've seen that coming but he didn't so he still chokes on air, his face turning into a similar shade of a tomato.

"Yeah. Okay," Donghyuck dismisses with a croak, serving himself a cup of water and chugging it down.

When Donghyuck looks up, Yukhei had already finished 1/4 of his stack of pancakes and thinks this man is a beast in human form. Donghyuck takes a small bite from his single pancake.

"Why do you hate me?" Yukhei asks after a brief moment of silence in which the awkward tension diffused Donghyuck.

Donghyuck is taken aback, his brows furrowing, "I don't hate you."

Donghyuck doesn't hate anyone as a matter of fact. Especially not Yukhei.

"So you like me then?" Yukhei brightens up the moment Donghyuck looks up in a flushed manner. He swears the air just got harder to breath as Yukhei's smile grows wider and it meets his eyes.

"N-No." Donghyuck stutters out as if it's the most absurd question, opting to going to the fridge to get more unneeded fruits.

Donghyuck closes the fridge after retrieving a small bowl of fruit.

"Then give me a chance."

Donghyuck yelps quietly as he turns around, coming in contact with Yukhei (and his toned chest that is to  _die_  for). Donghyuck could only look up at Yukhei's playful eyes, feeling awfully intimidated in the situation he was just thrown in.

"To make you like me, I mean," Yukhei smiles down at Donghyuck and of course his heart flutters at the proximity and the closeness, but if he could he would run away and the only thing stopping him at the moment is Yukhei's hands on either side of him.

"This looks like a drama scene," Donghyuck laughs nervously and he doesn't try to conceal it because anybody could tell that he was flustered to the max. He clutches onto the small bowl of fruits for some kind of security. He didn't want to think Yukhei meant giving him a chance they way Donghyuck wanted to think though.

"I'm being serious Donghyuck. Get to know me and I'll get to know you. I'm not some conceited jerk as you've come to see me as, I promise," Yukhei's eyes are suddenly soft as they gaze down at Donghyuck, it only makes him melt further more and he's already whipped so why can't he just say yes?

It's like a dream come true where Donghyuck isn't making the first moves he was always so scared of because they often led to rejection.

 

So Donghyuck lets out a deep breath, nodding his head.

  
"Okay," he whispers.


	5. five

  
  
  
"I'm being serious Donghyuck. Get to know me and I'll get to know you. I'm not some conceited jerk as you've come to see me as, I promise," Yukhei's eyes are suddenly soft as they gaze down at Donghyuck.

  
  
So Donghyuck lets out a deep breath, nodding his head.

  
"Okay," he whispers.

 

Yukhei's eyes widen, "Wait seriously? I was expecting you to slap me and say no to be honest."

 

Donghyuck rolls his eyes, groaning wondering why Yukhei couldn't last one second being serious. "It's not too late for me to do that so get out of my way before I do more than slap you," Donghyuck deadpans.

 

"Like kiss me?" Yukhei beams, stepping aside _and_ being shoved by Donghyuck's free hand.

 

"You wish," Donghyuck glares trying to seem unaffected by the suggestion though he really is affected, throwing a blueberry at Yukhei. He was originally aiming for his face but he guesses his chest will do.

 

"I really do," Yukhei sighs and Donghyuck doesn't know if he's being serious or not. He tries not to give it thought and opts for eating his pancakes instead.

 

 

 

 

  
Donghyuck feels weird.

 

  
He seriously doesn't know what he got himself into when agreeing to get closer to Yukhei. Did this mean they were going to hang out more? Does it mean Yukhei just wants Donghyuck to like him so they could be closer friends? Doesn't getting "closer" have to come naturally?

Boys are weird. He can't do this dating, relationship, liking stuff boys his age do.

It makes Donghyuck groan, causing him to throw himself back onto his bed and covering his face with a pillow hoping to suffocate himself and escape this dilemma for good.

It's just about getting hard to breathe under the pillow when he hears a knock on the door followed by it being slammed open. It could only be but one person.

 

"What are you doing now Hyuck?" he hears Mark sigh and then the pillow is snatched away from his face and arms.

 

"Excuse you I was trying to die what's wrong with you!" Donghyuck exasperates, sitting up as Mark sits on the edge of his bed giving him a look of disbelief.

 

"What's wrong with _me?_   What's wrong with _you_ idiot trying to suffocate yourself with a pillow the fuck."

 

"Hey no bad words in this Christian household," Donghyuck pouts, not being able to contain his upset emotions towards the confusing situation he put himself in.

 

Mark stares at him with that _look_ and it takes Donghyuck 5 seconds to looks away and sink into his bed again.

 

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

  
"Like what?"

  
"Like you could see right through me and my whole life of mistakes and confusion.."

  
"That's because I can see right through you and your whole life of mistakes and confusion but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what you did wrong this time," Mark states without missing a beat, his stare blank and if Donghyuck didn't know better he'd say Mark looked bored.

  
Donghyuck gasps, sitting up again, "What makes you think I did something wrong?!"

  
"Uh because you always do something wrong?" Mark replies, kicking off his shoes and sitting criss cross on Donghyuck's bed.

 

Donghyuck gasps again, having never been so offended in his life before. Okay, he has, but this is Mark so it's different.

  
"Well jokes on you because I didn't do anything wrong, _Lee Minhyung_ ," Donghyuck bites, lacking a bit of his usual energy though. Obviously Donghyuck did do something wrong _clearly_ , but he didn't want to admit it to himself yet. Especially knowing that Mark was in charge of doing that for him.

 

"Oh yeah then why was Chenle ranting to Jisung yesterday about Yukhei not shutting up all night because he's going to be having _dates_ with _you_ and to his surprise you actually agreed to doing this whole whatever ya'll are going to be doing," Mark breathes out, throwing himself back onto Donghyuck's bed.

 

Donghyuck stares at him blankly. Yepp, sounds about right, he did do something wrong and that was to finally accept a form of romance into his sad life. He sighs, throwing his legs over Mark's abdomen. 

 

"He hasn't told me anything about a date," Donghyuck comes to realize and Mark just stares up at the ceiling.

 

"I'm assuming he will then," Mark shrugs and he might look a bit annoyed, throwing Donghyuck's legs to the side rather harshly as he stands up and stretches. Donghyuck ignores it though, pushes it somewhere off and beyond as he watches his best friend stand next to the window.

 

"Speaking of Mr. Hot Neighbor, he's making his way over here with.. _flowers_?" Mark's brows furrow and Donghyuck shrieks.

 

"What?! Like right now? I look like a gross meatball!" Donghyuck spikes up from the bed throwing himself into the closet and searches through the mountain of clothes he promised himself he'd clean out a week ago.

 

"You are a gross meatball, Hyuck," Mark sighs idly, leaning against the closet's door frame and watching Donghyuck go into full panic mode with a smile.

 

"Well I know that thanks a lot you sad excuse of a best friend," Donghyuck glares up at Mark for a second before he's grabbing acceptable jeans and a black hoodie checking if it had no stains.

 

"I-" Mark is cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. "I-I'll go get that." He slides on his sneakers heading towards the door.

 

"Thanks!" Donghyuck shouts to Mark's retrieving back, quickly changing into his last minute clothes that weren't basketball shorts and a dirty ripped t-shirt, evidently leaving him out of breath and he notes to start doing some cardio or some form of exercise.

  
He rushes into the hallway, checking the centered mirror for any stray hairs and figures there's no point because his whole head is a mess so fixing one piece wouldn't do anything. He bolts down the stairs and hopes he doesn't sound like some wild elephant let loose but he knows he does anyway.

 

Donghyuck stops a few steps behind Mark when he notices Yukhei's glare. Donghyuck quietly peeps beside Mark and he could practically feel the fumes off both boys but he doesn't know why. Maybe Chenle said something mean to Jisung, Donghyuck assumes.

 

"Uh, hi."

 

It was quieter than Donghyuck expected but Yukhei still snaps his eyes towards him, they visibly soften at the sight of Donghyuck and a small grin makes it's way onto his full lips. Donghyuck tries his best not to squeal and faint right then and there, returning the smile.

 

"Hey. Donghyuck," Yukhei beams, a different aura all together erupts from the taller of the three.

 

"See you later Hyuck," Mark glances back at Donghyuck before he's brushing past Yukhei's shoulder. There's a sour look to his face but all Donghyuck could do is nod, "See you later." He'll make sure to ask Mark about it later.

 

Yukhei turns his head over his shoulder, watching Mark leave past the gate. Donghyuck almost gasps when Yukhei turns around and stares at him straight in the eyes with almost a glow.

 

"My mom has a friend who owns a flower shop not too far from here and I passed by it today and saw these _and_ well, I thought you'd might like them, cheesy I know but...yeah," Yukhei laughs and he sounds nervous, scratching the back of his neck as he hands out the half dozen of lavender roses and Donghyuck can't help but to smile widely.

 

"They're really beautiful Yukhei," Donghyuck grins, taking them from Yukhei's hold, the paper crumpling underneath his fingertips.

 

"Ah see, I thought they reminded me of you."

 

Donghyuck gazes up at Yukhei with really warm cheeks, Yukhei looking back down at him fondly. Donghyuck doesn't think he's ever felt his heart this way before and he doesn't think it's only because of Yukhei's looks and the roses he was gifted.

 

Then he remembers there's a front he has to put to not seem to eager.

 

"If you're trying to be cute and win me over with roses it's gonna take more than that you giant," Donghyuck smirks, but he can't hide the smile that is overtaking his lips.

 

Yukhei scoffs with a grin, "Fair enough. Let me, quote on quote, win you over later in the evening. I know this really good pizza place not many know about by the beach. What do you say?"

 

Donghyuck's chest fills with excitement at the proposition, but he tries to keep his cool by shrugging, swinging his shoulders a bit, "Hmm...I don't know..."

 

"What does not sound appealing about a large box of the town's best pizza, two large sodas, on the sand, watching the sunset?" Yukhei challenges, crossing his arms and leaning casually on the door frame.

 

"The fact that I'll have to be with you," Donghyuck teases, mimicking Yukhei's tilted head.

 

Yukhei could only laugh, his eyes crinkling at the edges, "Again, fair enough. I promise I'll be half annoying today."

 

"Only half?" Donghyuck raises a brow.

 

"That's already a lot of commitment on my part!" Yukhei points out though he can't contain his laughter.

 

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll go _I guess,_ " Donghyuck gives in, making it seem like he was forced but they both know he was more than willing to go.

 

"Great! Um, I'll pick you up at 7?"

 

"7 works fine," Donghyuck nods and Yukhei starts stepping back.

 

"Alright...see you then. I won't be late I promise," Yukhei winks with a huge grin and Donghyuck's heart is about to burst watching Yukhei leave to his house across the street.

 

This evening will be eventful, Donghyuck thinks, staring down at the lavender roses and smiles.

 

Eventful indeed.

 

 

 

 

"Okay, I am _not_ getting on that death machine, nope."

 

Donghyuck is staring wide eyed at the motorcycle in front of him while Yukhei is holding out an extra helmet for him.

 

He'd completely forgot that Yukhei lived up to the title of hot neighbor who rides motorcycles so he had been a bit taken back when Yukhei pulled up to his driveway in one, holding another helmet in hand.

 

"It's not that bad, I'll go slow I promise," Yukhei chuckles and Donghyuck knows Yukhei wants to laugh louder but won't because he obviously knows Donghyuck would get mad and turn him down for the night.

 

Even if Yukhei promises to go slow, Donghyuck still feels queasy about the idea of actually getting on a motorcycle for the first time.

 

"Can't we just take your parents car or something?" Donghyuck gulps, clutching discretely at his stomach.

 

Yukhei's gaze softens, switching the helmet to his other hand, "Donghyuck, I wouldn't go fast just to scare you I'm not a douche,. If you wanna go slow we'll go slow no problem the pizza place is pretty close anyway," he takes Donghyuck's hand in his gloved one, earning a small gasp from Donghyuck.

 

Donghyuck glances down to where his hand is in Yukhei's large one and his stomach flutters. His eyes trail back up at Yukhei who's looking sincere.

 

"Okay, _okay_. L-Let's do this then," Donghyuck nods, exhaling shakily but he lets Yukhei put the helmet on him with a gleeful smile. He adjusts the straps and checks with Donghyuck if he isn't being suffocated to which the younger shakes his head and the front shield comes down.

 

Yukhei brings his down too and motions his head to the back, "Hop on," he shouts muffled once he's turned on the engine.

 

Donghyuck is feeling his stomach churn for both the fact of being with Yukhei and for getting on a motorcycle though he promised himself he never would as a child. But here he is, jumping onto the motorcycle, settling behind Yukhei.

 

"You can get closer, put your feet right there," Yukhei instructs pointing down behind to where his own feet were. Donghyuck nods, scooting closer and his chest is pressed against Yukhei's back, awkwardly placing his hands on the taller's shoulders.

 

"You can put your arms around me if you want, feel more secure that way," Yukhei muffles and Donghyuck is too nervous to respond back and only does as he's told. His arms snake around Yukhei's waist and he feels like those girls in chick flicks.

 

They're just backing out of the driveway when Donghyuck is starting to regret this, not being one for the adrenaline but if Yukhei promised he'd go slow then he'll just have to trust him. They jolt forward as Yukhei increases the speed higher and higher and Donghyuck wonders what slow is to Yukhei.

 

He decides to just ignore it and enjoy himself. Enjoy the fact that he has his arms around Yukhei holding on tightly and he feels like the protagonist for once in his life.

 

 

 

"See wasn't so bad was it?"

 

"Speak for yourself," Donghyuck finally breathes out once the helmet is off and his feet are on stable ground though his legs feel like jelly. He could smell the ocean's salty water already, the sun not feeling so harsh against his back and the cool breeze feels gratifying.

 

"I will. And I say it wasn't so bad," Yukhei laughs, taking off his gloves and placing them inside the helmet.

 

"10/10 would not do it again," Donghyuck comments, shaking off his hands for they felt kinda fuzzy. Truth is though, he'd probably do it again if it meant being that physically close to Yukhei.

 

"Well you're going to have to when we go back. Plus, I think you did great. I'm proud," Yukhei grins down at Donghyuck, swinging an arm over his shoulder.

 

Donghyuck tries his best to contain his blush to himself as Yukhei walks them towards the pizza place, his arm not leaving Donghyuck's shoulder.

 

"I'm not some kid you have to be 'proud' of you know," Donghyuck glares up at Yukhei, crossing his arms because he didn't know where else to place them when they're walking like this. But truth be told, Donghyuck kinda lived for the praises. Especially Yukhei's.

 

"Then why do you have the height of a kid?"

 

Donghyuck scoffs, shoving Yukhei's arm off his shoulder and shoving him off to the side. Yukhei is cackling even as he almost runs into somebody's stationed bike, clutching at his stomach. His smile and laugh are contagious, Donghyuck smiles along with him.

 

"I was just teasing you don't take me seriously," Yukhei says, out of breath as they reach the front of the pizza parlor. He holds the door open for Donghyuck, signaling him to go in first.

 

Donghyuck smiles at both Yukhei's words and cute manners, "Yeah I know. I just wanted a reason to push you."

 

He doesn't see when Yukhei grins widely, but he could feel the bright vibes from the taller.

  
"I'll go ahead and order, is pepperoni fine or?"

  
"Yeah that's good! I'm good with anything as long as it's pizza," Donghyuck admits shyly, feeling bashful all of a sudden but that might be because this could definitely qualify as a first date.

 

"Same," Yukhei laughs, "What about drinks?"

  
"Dr. Pepper is fine. Thanks."

  
"Alright I'll be back, don't take the nearest exit!" Yukhei says playfully, making Donghyuck break into a giggle, nodding nevertheless.

 

He stands off to the side, watching Yukhei order and he could almost hear him by how loud he is naturally. A few customers begin to flow in, but nothing compared to like the big pizza chains.

 

There's a vibration in his pocket and he quickly takes out his phone. He quickly opens the text from his best friend.

 

 **markiepoo**  
Be careful.

 

Text me when you're home.

 

 

Donghyuck cracks a grin, finding Mark's over protectiveness amusing. He sends back a quick _yes sir_ with a smile.

 

"Who's making you smile like that? I'm jealous." Yukhei's voice makes Donghyuck jump, pulling him out of his own world and he looks up to see Yukhei chuckling.

 

"Sorry didn't mean to startle you."

 

"It's okay," Donghyuck breathes, "It's just Mark. He hasn't gotten this protective since middle school," he laughs looking at the messages one more time before putting his phone back into his pocket.

 

"Oh really? Is it some sort of best friend instinct or something?" Yukhei snorts, leaning his back against the pizza shop's window.

 

Donghyuck laughs at this, nodding his head, "Yeah something like that I guess." It probably was some best friend instinct that made Mark text him that and it only makes him grin more.

 

 

 

 

"-Wait so let me get this straight. _Chenle_ got expelled for filling the principal's purse with super worms _and_ hijacking the intercom during a school rally and saying school was a waste of time and Mr. Kim can suck it?" Donghyuck stares in complete shock, mouth agape, a slice of pizza halfway to his mouth.

 

"Mhm," Yukhei nods, mouth full of pizza but he still fits another bite.

  
"Wait is that why you guys moved here?!" Donghyuck exasperates, the backstory as to why he has a hot neighbor making him want to laugh. Guess life does work miracles after all, Donghyuck chuckles.

 

Yukhei nods again though Donghyuck already knew. The sun had long been gone, leaving a few remains of orange at the horizon as they're perched on top of the lifeguard's house, office, whatever it was. Apparently one large pepperoni pizza was enough for one tall boy and one short boy considering they were both down to one final slice each.

 

Donghyuck takes a large bite, feeling his stomach come to its limit as he looks up, Yukhei swallows his food thickly. There's a bit of marina sauce on the corner of his lips and a bit on his cheek and Donghyuck is reminded yet again of those chick flicks.

 

He assumes this is the part where he's supposed to lean in and wipe it off with his thumb or something but he knows he's too awkward for that. So instead he smiles, pointing to Yukhei's cheek, "Uh, you got something there."

 

YUkhei's eyes widen, " _Oh_. Thanks," he laughs, wiping the marina away with the back of his hand.

 

Donghyuck just grins, grabbing his large drink and taking a long sip. He looks ahead to where the pier's lights are lighting up what the moon couldn't of the waves crashing on shore. The noise of the ocean relaxes Donghyuck, making him feel at his most calmest yet.

 

"Okay my turn! Would you rather...kill a dolphin and be rich the rest of your life or be struggling for money but have good odds?" Yukhei questions and Donghyuck looks at him as if he's crazy with a mouth full of pizza.

 

Donghyuck gulps it down and sips at his soda, "Obviously I'd rather struggle, dolphins are so cute what's wrong with you."

 

"It was just a question," Yukhei rolls his eyes but he laughs alongside Donghyuck.

  
"Now it's my turn," Donghyuck announces, setting his cup down, "First impression of me? Be honest."

  
He watches Yukhei break into a smile, turning his gaze towards the waves. "You really want me to answer that?" Yukhei gives Donghyuck a side glance, his smile still remaining.

 

Donghyuck now questions himself if he really wants the answer to that. His self esteem says no but the curious George inside of him says yes.

 

Donghyuck nods rather eagerly, pulling up one leg up to face Yukhei.

 

Yukhei takes a deep breath in, "Honestly," he exhales, avoiding Donghyuck's eyes. "Honestly when I first saw you that one time with Mark at your window I thought you were super cute. Like, in my head I was thinking, _wow_ I think I'm going to make him mine...Okay that sounded better in my head but I already said it so oh well.

 

"And then I got to know you, sorta, I mean you kept running away, but I thought that was super _super_ cute too and I don't know...And your sass and attitude makes you ten times more squishable and you're irresistible and you're basically everything I never knew I was looking for..."

 

Donghyuck could only stare, mouth slightly ajar, and his heart thumping vigorously within his rib cage. He couldn't, no he _didn't_ , want to believe what he was hearing. All his doubts were proven wrong as Yukhei looks at him waiting for an answer but Donghyuck couldn't gather one together at the moment, too busy believing his life had taken a wide turn.

 

"Sorry if that was too much or too soon, but after that one night I slept over and you were sleeping on my lap comfortably, you looked..you just looked like you were meant to be there, meant to be with me, and suddenly I imagined more nights like that.. Of course without obligation," Yukhei laughs a bit bitterly. Donghyuck wants to say something but he can't still.

 

He can't because that's the first time someone had ever willingly confessed to him and he never ever in a million years thought this would be happening. Honestly, Donghyuck thought he was going to adopt a bunch of cats or dogs by the age of 30, much less have a n extremely attractive neighbor profess his love.

 

Looking up at Yukhei, Donghyuck bites his bottom lip, he wishes he wasn't so awkward at times.

 

Yukhei finally turns his gaze onto Donghyuck and it does things to his stomach.

 

"I think saying something is better than silence to be honest," Yukhei chuckles getting up and dusting off the sand off his jeans.

 

"I know. I'm sorry," Donghyuck _finally_ speaks up, dropping his gaze down to where his one leg is dangling. Something in the back of his mind is taunting him, telling him Yukhei is only going to play with his heart because guys like him don't just like guys like Donghyuck.

 

The pizza doesn't feel so good anymore.

 

"Sorry you don't feel the same way, sorry you don't know what to say?" Yukhei questions him and Donghyuck shakes his head not wanting Yukhei to think he's rejecting his feelings.

 

It's just he doesn't know how to deal with this among many other things.

 

When Donghyuck doesn't say anything else, he feels Yukhei kneel beside him and it makes his heart race a little faster.

 

"Donghyuck?" Yukhei calls out, and he places a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Donghyuck look at me please."

 

Donghyuck doesn't want to look, it would only make him panic further and he didn't want to say things he didn't mean due to the pressure but he looks anyway. His eyes meet Yukhei's warm brown ones.

 

Yukhei brings a hand to his cheek and it's warm despite the chilly weather, "I mean what I say Donghyuck. I'm not one to be so blunt about my feelings towards someone but if I am it's because I am 100 percent serious about what I feel. You have to believe _me_ , not what your mind is telling you.."

 

Donghyuck looks away, anywhere but at Yukhei's sincere eyes. He felt his cheeks flush by Yukhei's words, Yukhei's touch. It all felt very comforting and it was something Donghyuck hadn't experienced before.

 

"You don't have to respond directly to my whole ass monologue right now, or ever if you don't feel like it, but I just wanted you to know what I feel for you is real and has been since day one okay?" Yukhei's thumb caresses Donghyuck's cheek when the boy only nods, still in shock with everything.

 

After a few moments of silence, save the crashing of the waves, Yukhei is heard letting out a deep breath. Donghyuck looks over at him, feeling very guilty he wasn't able to give Yukhei a well thought out response as he had. The feelings were mutual, they were there, but he wasn't really great at conveying.

 

Or having confidence.

 

Yukhei looks back at him, tilting his head, "Well it's time to go back now before the cops show up," he laughs, getting up from the power squat he was in. Donghyuck nods eagerly, standing up as well, and he wonders if Yukhei thinks he's gone mute for real this time.

 

He's about to crouch over to grab his empty soda cup when Yukhei grabs his arm.

 

"Oh and Donghyuck?"

 

"Yeah?" Donghyuck speaks up and it comes out a bit too quietly.

 

Yukhei just smiles at him for a few seconds, Donghyuck trying not to shy away from the attention.

 

"Don't ever think you aren't worth anything. Anybody would be extremely lucky to have you so chin up," Yukhei speaks and it's so deep and velvety and soft, Donghyuck could listen to him forever. He's the one that feels extremely lucky to have come across someone like Yukhei, he thinks.

 

So he nods, and he didn't see it coming when Yukhei places his hands on either side of Donghyuck's face and places a small but lasting kiss on his forehead. Donghyuck's face is melting from heat watching as Yukhei just smiles and retreats with both helmets in hand and an empty pizza box under his arm.

 

"You coming?" Yukhei shouts back when he's reached the trash can and Donghyuck jogs towards him, tossing the two empty cups away. Donghyuck suddenly feels light, even just watching Yukhei's back as they walk back to the parking area has his heart fluttering and his stomach twirling. This feeling had to be the best he's ever felt.

  
And he was right. Today had been very eventful.

 

 

When Donghyuck gets home after shyly bidding Yukhei goodnight and saying about a thousand thank you's, he may or may not have google searched the meaning of a lavender rose.

 

The results should have been surprising, but after tonight, it had only made Donghyuck grin wider and he felt so elated.

 

He finally had hope.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eep sorry it took me so long to update!! School is about to start and well I hope I still get free time to update! I felt a little more content with this chapter so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did~   
> Also, I dare you to look up the meaning of a lavender rose too hehe   
> Thank you!


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